Silver Darkness
by Simply Midnight
Summary: Silverswift is the youngest warrior in ThunderClan, simply trying to live as a normal cat. But her peace is shattered when visited by a strange tom in her dreams. Will she be able to determine the meaning of time and save her friends? Ch. 4 up. First fic.
1. Prologue

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**Disclaimer: Don't own the warriors book series, Erin Hunter does.**

**Claimer: I own this idea for this fanfiction.**

Oh, and I will be editing all the chapters to make them better. The Prologue has now been edited, and I will post the other chapters as soon as I finish editing them.

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**_Prologue_**

_Falling... _All around me, darkness swirled and spiraled, enveloping me as I _fell..._ Myslender body twisted and turned uselessly, my legs adding to the un-seeable display.

The darkness pressed against my eyes, overrunning my mind untill I let loose a yowl ofterror, only to be lost in this endless blackness. My flank suddenly crashed into

something hard and solid, resulting in an audible 'oof!' as my breath was knocked away.With a soft groan, I rolled over, trying to avoid putting weight on this newly found pain in

my flank. With a sudden jolt, my mind snapped back to the situation. I swiftly jumped tomy feet, letting out a faint hiss and swinging my head around in hopes of at least seeing

my current surroundings. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as my heart sped up, fearbeginning to creep into my mind. I narrowed my eyes, starting to wonder if this

nightmare would ever cease. A very faint glow appeared on the edge of myvision, sending a thrill of hope through my mind. Mystified, I turned my body towards it,

curiosity and hop of escape driving me to do so. Unconsciously, I took a slow kitten steptowards the light. As I did so, the glow seemed to increase in brightness. This resulted in

me taking another step, followed by another, until I found myself slowly creepingtowards this strange apparition. With each cautious step, the blueish light grew clearer,

until it finally took on the shape of a blue-gray cat. Blank white eyes stared out at me, hisstone gray fur neatly groomed. His fur glittered with... not stars, but light. This

mysterious gray cat parted his jaws as if to speak, and yet no sound came out. Closinghis jaws again, I thought I saw a flicker of sadness pass through those blank eyes.

"Welcome Silver one, you have arrived at last..."The deep, rumbling purr echoed

around me. His voice seemed to sound from all around, but something told me that itcame from the stone gray cat before me. I leaned in closer to the speaker, parting myjaws despite the fact that I had no idea of what to say.

"Wh-who are you?" I managed weakly. The gray cat simply shook his head and

twitched the tip of his tail to dismiss my words. A sudden authority flashed deep withinthe tom's eyes, and his voice began to sound once more.

"Time shall fade wh-"A sudden, sharp pain materialized in my side and I winced

slightly. Looking forwards once more, I found that the gray tom had disappeared, voiceand all. Strangely enough, I began to hear birdsong and the familiar rustling of leaves.

Realizing what had happened, I let out a groan and cracked open my eyes. Peering upwards, I found a brown tabby face hovering above my own.

"Silverswift, are you alright?"came the concerned voice of my best friend, Frostfoot.


	2. Dreams of Darkness

**Here it is! Oh and my friend has decided to help me write this so... it's like Erin Hunter, two writers under one pen name! Enjoy!**

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"I'm fine Frostfoot, why do you ask?"

I replied, plastering a smile on my face.

"Oh no reason, just that you were twitching in your sleep, and you _never_ do that."

"Oh. I was just dreaming of hunting that's all."

I replied, standing up and shaking moss from my fur.

"Speaking of hunting, I need you two to take another cat and do just that, we're almost out of fresh-kill."

Said a new, brisk voice.

"Sure thing Almondfur!"

I replied cheerfully, watching as the brown deputy disappeared from the entrance of the warriors den. Taking a moment to stretch myself out, I looked over at Frostfoot.

"So who should we take?"

I asked.

"Hmm… how about Knightclaw? He needs to do something other than sit around in the nursery with Lightleaf you know?"

She replied, looking thoughtful. With a mrow of laughter, I nodded in agreement and led the way into the center of the camp. Here, the morning fog that had settled over the distant WindClan hills dampened my fur. With a quick glance around the camp, I spotted Knightclaw emerging from the nursery and motioned to him with my tail.

"What's up?"

He asked, looking at the pair of us curiously.

"Almondfur put us on hunting duty, and we were wondering if you'd like to come."

Answered Frostfoot with a smile, knowing he would give an excuse.

"Well… Lightleaf might need help-"he started to say but then he saw the looks on our faces. "Sure why not?"

He replied, giving us a small smile. I grinned with satisfaction at his answer, flicking my tail for him to follow us.

"I'm sure Turtlepelt can watch her while you're gone."

As we exited the quarry where our camp was located and entered the forest, Frostfoot commented about my behavior.

"Silverswift? Is something wrong?"

I was disturbed from my thoughts about the dream. I shook my head to clear my mind and replied.

"Just listening to the sounds of food!"

I bounded ahead while Knightclaw and Frostfoot followed, whiskers twitching with amusement. As we continued hunting for food, mist swirled into patterns in the air while Knightclaw swatted at it, disturbing the stillness. I realized that the swirling fog reminded me of my dream and considered telling my friends about it, but quickly decided that I needed more time. The rest of the hunt passed in uneasy silence. Knightclaw and Frostfoot must have noticed, because they made no other comments, sometimes making some remarks about the weather, but then relapsing into silence. We arrived back at the camp, the fog dampening our moods and fur. Looking up into the sky, I realized that our party had been hunting past sunhigh. After depositing our catch onto the fresh-kill pile, I picked out a thrush for myself and padded over to the thorn bush. After my meal, I realized that I felt uncharacteristically warm and full. _Well I suppose a short nap couldn't hurt… _I thought. With a yawn, I padded into the warriors den. Finding a good spot, I scraped some moss together with my claws and lay down. Slowly, I closed my eyes as sleep washed over me.

My mind hit overdrive as I realized what was happening. I spontaneously began thrashing again, my limbs flailing around uselessly.

_"When the moon runs red__..."_

I hit the ground with a 'thud' as a shimmering blue light appeared to my right.

"Who are you!?"

I yowled, jumping to feet and whirling to face the 'light' cat with a snarl.

_"Trouble sh__all reign and blood will be shed__"_

Confusion briefly crossed my face and I tried to step forward but realized I couldn't move.

"Why are you doing this? What do you want?"

I asked, struggling against the invisible force that held me.

_"Align with the river __to create a light__"_

That's when it hit me. This was the cat from my dream. Thinking back, I tried to remember what he had said before but he had begun speaking again.

_"When a plague sweeps the land in the darkness of night"_

This time I clung to every word spoken wondering what this could possibly mean.

_"Beware of the time when shadows fall"_

Was this a prophecy? But how could it be? This was no StarClan cat!

_"Wind shall urge the shadows onward"_

Wind, Shadows, and River? What could those mean and what in the name of StarClan does it have to do with me?

_"Now remember the stars or death shall rule…"_

With these last, haunting words, the light began to fade and darkness once again enveloped me.

"Wait don't go!"

I called into the darkness. I knew that the cat was gone but I had the strangest feeling that we would meet again. And all at once, warmth seeped into my body as I began to spin around. I shut my eyes tightly, not quite knowing what that would do.

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**I know the ending is bad but that's because I had to fit it into the opening of the next chapter which my friend wrote :) The next chapter is done, I just need to type it up and post it. :) **


	3. Suspicions

My legs twitched in my sleep, and I woke with a start. When I cleared my eyes, the mysterious cat had disappeared. All that was left was a medallion of sorts on a string. The moonlight glinted off of it, and I could see a picture of a cat carrying thunder on the front side of the medal. I flipped it over and read 'Smokestar' on the back. Managing to get the medallion around my neck, it seemed to whisper to me, _remember. _I 'remembered' an image of a smoky colored cat, the same that had visited me so many times in my dreams. The moonshine illuminated the den, revealing that no one else was inside. A fear or panic overcame me but I soon realized that the Clan must be having a night meeting. Creeping out of the den, I tried to blend in with the shadows till I reached the meeting place. My silver fur gave me away. Snowstar saw me approaching and welcomed me.

"Welcome Silverswift, how nice of you to arise from your sleep and join us."

I felt all eyes on me and heard many mrows of amusement. I hung my head, but not before I caught Almondfur suspiciously glancing my way. The meeting continued on. Afterwards, everyone retired to their den except me. The name 'Smokestar' still nagged at my thoughts. I had decided to ask Snowstar who the cat was. As I approached Snowstar's den, I heard voices. I recognized one as Snowstar's and the other as Almondfur's. Standing as quietly as I could outside the den, I caught a few words.

"Silverswift……spies…...other clans, especially ShadowClan…… "

Almondfur was saying. I crept away, shocked and shunned. Almondfur? Suspecting me giving information to other Clans? Lately, other Clans had received unexpected information about ThunderClan, and none of the other cats knew how other Clans had gotten the information. WindClan had known when we moved, and ShadowClan had known when we were low on prey.I hid in the brush as Almondfur exited the cave. After he left I tentatively entered Snowstar's den. Her head was down and her breathing was calm, but she wasn't asleep, just reflecting. She glanced up as I entered the den and her quick, keen eyes narrowed. She got to her feet and turned away, studying the patterns of moonlight on the floor. I could tell she didn't want me there. Before she could object, I blurted

"Have you ever heard of a cat called Smokestar?"

That caught her attention. She turned, looking at me curiously but asking no questions. She laid her head on her paws and answered.

"Smokestar was a revered cat, the leader of all the clans when they were joined in unity. He had the power to see the future…"

Before she could continue, I settled myself on the floor. I had a feeling that we were in for a big talk and a long night.


	4. Explanations and suprises

**Did my reveiwers die? This chapter was written all be me and so will the next one. Chapter 5 will be written by my friend but there won't be a chapter four or five if I don't get at least three more reviews for this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own the warriors book series, Erin Hunter does.**

**Claimer: I own this idea for this fanfiction.**

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Snowstar's eyes gazed into mine, void of any emotion.

"Why do you wish to know about Smokestar and how have you come to know his name?"

Feeling uncomfortable at the question, I looked away. With a sigh, I made a decision to tell Snowstar about my dreams.

"Well… I had these dreams…"

And with that, I found myself recounting the tale of the strange cat, from the frightening falling sensation to the disappearance of the blue light, and finally waking up to find the clan meeting in progress. For a heartbeat, Snowstar just sat there, looking stunned. Seeming to realize her expression, my leader quickly wiped it off her face.

"Well… can you remember the pr- what that… cat said?"

Asked Snowstar slowly. I looked at her curiously, wondering if she knew more than she was telling me.

"Of course I do Snowstar, do you want me to say it?"

I asked tentatively.

"No that's fine; I was thinking that it could be important."

Snowstar paused here to sigh, and then continued.

"Let me tell you the story of Smokestar. He was certainly a respected cat, a legend of his time even. But the thing he is most remembered for was his skills as both a leader, _and_ a medicine cat."

She paused after the last sentence, allowing me to gasp in astonishment.

"A leader _and_ a medicine cat? But how could that be? That's against the warrior code isn't it?"

At this statement, Snowstar's whiskers twitched in amusement but her eyes betrayed sadness.

"In the time of clan unity, the warrior code was long forgotten by many cats. But one cat still had faith in StarClan, and that was Smokestar, then Smokeheart."

Once again she paused, silently knowing my will to ask questions.

"So… Smokestar must've been a medicine cat first right?"

I asked, tilting my head slightly. Snowstar shook her head in reply, surprising me.

"No Silverswift, Smokestar originally trained to be a warrior, but StarClan had already laid out his path. The medicine cat apprentice died in an accident on the Thunderpath. But Dovetail was old and needed desperately to train an apprentice before he went to join StarClan. Our warrior ancestors sent Dovetail a dream saying that Smokepaw should take the position. Smokepaw agreed, but only because StarClan had stated that he needed to do so."

At this point Snowstar paused. There was a long silence between the two cats but finally Snowstar spoke.

"That is enough for tonight Silverswift, you can go now."

I dipped my head in acknowledgment and turned to leave. Before I stepped out, I looked over my shoulder and spoke.

"You don't really think that I'm passing information to other clans do you?"

I asked, sadness tingeing my voice. For a moment, Snowstar looked shocked but she quickly collected herself and replied.

"I don't know Silverswift. Now get some sleep, there are a few more hours before sunrise."

She said firmly. I sighed and padded out, wondering if she would ever believe me.

The next morning I awoke to find cats milling about in the warriors den. Suddenly, I heard Snowstar's call of,

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the highledge for a clan meeting!"

At the familiar call, the warriors den began to empty. Heading for the entrance, I padded over to the highledge, found Frostfoot, and sat down beside her. She acknowledged my presence with a friendly flick of the tail. Looking ahead, I saw Blueleaf and her three kits at the base of the highledge. _They must be having their apprentice ceremony_. I thought, glancing at the well groomed fur of the three kits. Finally, every cat was gathered and Snowstar could continue the meeting.

"The time has come to name three young cats apprentices!"

Called Snowstar. This statement was met with purrs of agreement and appreciation, as well as excited meows from the three soon-to-be apprentices.

"Foxkit!"

After Snowstar called the name, a dark ginger cat with black paws and a bushy tail stepped forward.

"Foxkit, from this day onwards until you earn your warrior name, you will be called Foxpaw. May StarClan watch over you as you train."

Said Snowstar, causing the newly named Foxpaw to glow with delight.

"I trust that Silverswift will pass on her skills as a warrior to you."

She added, looking not at Foxpaw, but directly at my shocked face.

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**Remember to reveiw, hit the little button at the bottom and tell me what you think of this, doesn't have to be long or fancy or anything. Heck, even 'good' or 'bad' would do.**


	5. Secrets

**Ok then, it's finally here. Thank you to those of you who reviewed, and Crazy Flamie, thanks for telling me that you thought it was bad. I appreciate criticism as I would like to improve my writing.**

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Silence rung through the air as a light breeze gently ruffled the pelts of many cats. Snowstar's words echoed loudly in my head, forcefully pushing away any thoughts I had before. I glanced around at my clan mates, my green gaze full of shock and surprise. My sights settled on Almondfur, and smugness briefly flashed through me as I saw that he looked just as surprised as I felt. I felt someone prod me in the flank, and looked around to see Frostfoot. The brown she-cat gave me another nudge and ushered me onwards.

"Go Silverswift! You'll have time to think about this later, but for now Snowstar and Foxpaw are waiting for you." She mewed hurriedly. I flicked my tail with a sort of quavering acknowledgement and stood up, the skin underneath my pelt burning as I felt every pair of eyes focus on me. Lifting my chin, I held my head high and began to pad forward through the throng of many cats. The forest itself seemed to hold its breath as I approached the young ginger cat. Amber burned into green as I extended my neck and reached down to touch my nose to his. In that heartbeat, intensity unknown crackled like lightning between us. I quickly withdrew, narrowing my eyes in surprise. What could possibly cause such a moment between mentor and apprentice? Did only StarClan know? _StarClan…_ I was suddenly aware of the strange dreams I had been having lately. With an inward sigh, I pushed these thoughts away and looked at my apprentice.

"Come on, we should go sit down."

I murmured, flicking my tail for him to follow me. The young tom dipped his head as I stepped around him, padding towards the back of the group. Curling my silvery tail around my paws, I looked up at Snowstar, waiting to hear the rest of the ceremony. The Clan's usual cheerfulness soon began to fill the air once more. The white leader soon announced Maplepaw to be apprenticed to Lakefur, and a very lucky Golden paw to be apprenticed to Snowstar. Despite my calm appearance, my mind was swirling with dark confusion and many questions. Finally, the meeting ended and many cats began to mill about the clearing once more. A wave of relief washed over me as I saw my friends Frostfoot and Knightclaw padding over. I smiled weakly as they approached.

"Oh Frostfoot, what do I do? I wasn't supposed to get an apprentice!"

Realizing what I had just said, I cast a sidelong glance, only to find empty space. I briefly scanned the crowd of cats, spotting him having a chat with the other apprentices. Sending silent thanks to StarClan, I shifted my green gaze back to Frostfoot and Knightclaw. The brown tabby she-cat was looking at me sympathetically, while Knightclaw stood there looking like well… Knightclaw. Noticing my gaze, he started.

"Well I uh… I would…"

He stuttered, looking at Frostfoot for help. Frostfoot gave a small mrow of amusement at Knighclaw's lack of words.

"Don't mind Knightclaw, he has no experience when it comes to these things."

Began the brown tabby, giving the black and white tom a playful flick on the ear. Knightclaw shot Frostfoot a look, but said nothing, allowing the she-cat to continue.

"Silverswift, I think that you're blowing this way out of proportion, How do you know that Snowstar didn't just mean to give you a pleasant surprise? What you need to do is just calm down and relax. Go hunting or something, and hey, you can take Foxpaw with you on top of that. Everything will be fine, I promise Silverswift. Just remember, I'll always be there if you need me."

I nodded and forced a purr. Something just seemed to tell me that this would _not _be fine. I was just about to open my mouth and meow a reply when the icy calm voice of a certain dark brown tom broke through my thoughts. I whipped around, careful to keep a snarl of my face as I confronted the deputy.

"Having a little… Chat with your friends now are we?"

Asked Almondfur. I struggled to keep my anger down as I stuttered a reply.

"W-well… I was ju-"

Almondfur took a step closer, cutting me off.

"Well _I_ see it as a waste of time _Silverswift_. And there won't be any of that while I'm deputy!" He hissed, eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.

"I was just asking Frostfoot if she'd like to come with me while I show Foxpaw the borders!" I hissed, my anger boiling over at last. Almondfur's eyes widened at my sudden outbreak and he shook his head as if to pity me.

"Tsk, tsk Silverswift. Yelling at the clan deputy won't get you anywhere now will it?" I narrowed my eyes and gave Almondfur a menacing glare.

"Frostfoot will tell you what I said."

I mewed suddenly, careful to keep my voice down this time. I looked over to the side, only to fell the shock of my best friend having left with Knightclaw. _Probably to see Lightleaf._ I thought bitterly. At this, Almondfur gave a cold _mrow_ of amusement, amber eyes gleaming with contempt.

"Surely you can train young Foxpaw on your own, you wouldn't need any _help_ now would you? 'Cause if you do, maybe you shouldn't have an apprentice yet." He sneered harshly. My green eyes narrowed to cold slits of ice, and my tail lashed behind me.

"You. Wish."

I said shortly. Without waiting for a reply, I whipped around and trotted over to the apprentices, doing my best but failing to wipe my anger away.

"Come on Foxpaw, I'm going to show you the borders." I muttered, glancing at the ginger tom and his friends. Foxpaw exchanged a glance with Maplepaw and Goldenpaw before dipping his head in agreement.

 "Okay then Silverswift." He mewed, rising to his feet. I gave a short nod to the other apprentices before padding towards the entrance to camp.

"I'll catch you guy's later then!" called Foxpaw, waving his bushy tail in farewell.

Birdsong filled the humid air as two sets of silent paws carried their owners across a grassy clearing. Fat dewdrops slid slowly from the green blades as the silver paws disturbed them from a silent vigil. A light breeze floated across the babbling stream, gently ruffling my fur and Silverswift's. With the breeze came the scent of fresh rain, rabbits, and a mixture of heather and lake wind. A silver head raised to inhale the gentle breeze.

"So Foxpaw, tell me what you can smell." My silver mentor said, looking down at my ginger form. I raised my head and carefully sniffed the air, a thoughtful expression stealing over my face.

"It smells like… Rain… Rain and…" I trailed off, scenting the air once more before finishing my reply.

"It kind of smells like something I've smelled before in camp… Fresh-kill maybe…?"

My amber eyes glowed up into green, showing obvious pride at having been able to answer the question. Silverswift gave a small smile, relieved that I had given I plausible answer. _I hope I'm doing the right thing…_ I thought uncertainly, casting my mind to a conversation held in the past. Reeling my mind to the present, I looked back up at my mentor, waiting for her reply. A light smile tugged at the corners of Silverswift's mouth, and she nodded in approval. I let my face break out into a smile, but I did not reply.

"So you're sure that's it, nothing else?"

Asked the silver she-cat. I tipped my head to the side with curiosity before re-scenting the air. It brought the same scents as before, but the heather-wind mixture seemed to linger on in my nostrils. I sat thoughtfully for a moment, wondering what it could be. Suddenly, a possible answer hit me, and I blurted it out before thinking; very uncharacteristic of me.

"Is it WindClan?"

I asked. Silverswift's whiskers twitched in amusement and slightly inclined her head. Turning around, my silver mentor flicked her tail for me to follow.

"Come on, I've showed you the borders, and I would show you more, but the sun is beginning to set. We should start heading back to camp."

Though her mew was confident, I saw hesitation flash in her eyes. _What's _she_ so worried about? _I thought to myself. As we walked onwards, I reflected upon the day we had spent together. We had patrolled the edges of our territory, beginning at the ShadowClan border. I remembered with distaste the rank scent of the enemy clan, along with the layer of pine needles that constantly pricked at my pads. From there we had continued onwards to the lake, where light refreshing breezes had caressed our pelts. During our journey, I had learned a lot both from and about Silverswift. She was a nice she-cat and _seemed_ like a good mentor, but from what Snowstar had said, she had a few secrets hidden under all that silver fur. But… Snowstar hadn't sounded like she had   
been totally informed had she? And now that I think about it, Silverswift doesn't seem the cat that could do, _would _do, what she had been accused of? Unease tore at me like thorns as we continued on. Chancing a glance at Silverswift, doubt began to cloud my thoughts as I took in that pretty tabby fur. Desperation for answers flooded my thoughts as my heart rate began to quicken. _What do I do?_ I looked past Silverswift, only to find that we were getting closer and closer to camp. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore, I forced myself to stop. _StarClan help me!_ I thought, taking a deep breath.

"Silverswift!"


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